Upcoming Neighborhood Meetings, Snow Removal, and Event Highlights for the Week of January 5, 2026

Updates and Notices

Holiday Tree Collection Begins Monday 1/5/2026: Madison Streets Division collects holiday trees and turns them into mulch. There are 2 rounds of holiday tree collection or you can bring your tree to a drop off site. 

• First round of collection starts Monday January 5th
• Second round of collection starts Tuesday January 20th

Neighborhood Grant Program: 

• Optional Workshop on Wednesday January 14th at 5:30pm
• Grant Application Deadline is Tuesday February 10th at 4:30pm

John Nolen Drive Project: Get current information about road closures and construction updates for John Nolen Drive.

Snow Removal Updates: Sign up for real time snow plow email updates, see more information on the city snow removal process, or see a pinned Snow Plowing Update for the most recent snow event.

Upcoming Neighborhood Association Meetings:

• North Street Neighborhood Association (Serving Eken Park and Emerson East)  Meets 1st Thursday
  • January Neighborhood Association Meeting - 6:30pm, Thursday January 8th at Hawthorne Public Library
• Hawthorne Neighborhood Association
  • January Neighborhood Association Meeting - 6pm, Monday January 5th at Hawthorne Elementary School Library Media Center

• Sherman Neighborhood Association 

  • January Neighborhood Association Meeting - 6:30pm, Monday January 5th at Warner Park Community Recreation Center (WPCRC)

   

• Note: If your Neighborhood Association is not listed, please reach out and I will add it to the next list!

Boards, Commissions, and Committee Meetings

Note: This is not a complete list of meetings for this upcoming week. All meetings and their details can be found at the Meeting Schedule page.

• Finance Committee: The Finance Committee meeting will take place on Monday, January 5, at 4:30 p.m. in virtual format. Agenda items include authorizing the Madison Police Department to accept training grants on an ongoing basis without requiring separate resolutions to accept individual grants.
  • Meeting Details
  • Meeting Agenda
  • Register for Public Comment
  • Watch Online
• Transportation Commission: The Transportation Commission meeting will take place on Wednesday, January 7, at 5:00 p.m. in virtual format. Agenda items include authorizing the application and acceptance of a Federal-State Partnership for Intercity Passenger Rail Grant, which would fund planned safety improvements and identify additional needs at at-grade railroad crossings that support the proposed extension of the Amtrak Hiawatha service to Madison.
  • Meeting Details
  • Meeting Agenda
  • Register for Public Comment
  • Watch Online

If you would like more information about becoming a member of a City board, commission, or committee, please visit the page linked here.

Public Information Meetings (PIMs)

• Playground Workshop, Tuesday, January 6: Madison Parks identified six playgrounds to be replaced in 2026. Neighbors are invited to attend a virtual playground workshop to learn more and share input.
  • None of the 6 identified playgrounds are in District 12, however anyone can still participant in the workshop

Announcements and News Releases

• Happy New Year from Mayor Rhodes-Conway: As 2025 draws to a close, I want to take this opportunity to say thank you to the dedicated employees of the City, and to our whole community. [posted December 31, 2025]

Please visit the City news webpage to find additional news and announcements and to subscribe to receive notification of news releases as they are posted.

Events

• Holiday Fantasy in Lights, Saturday, November 15, through Monday, January 5, 2026: Lighted holiday-themed displays set in beautiful Olin Park. Drive through from dusk until 10:00pm to enjoy this magical light show for free, brought to you by The Electric Group.
• Girls' Mentorship Group, Tuesday, January 6: Join Keena Atkinson of R'oujie Wellness on Tuesday evenings at Warner Park Community Recreation Center! This free series is designed for females aged 11 to 18. Pre-registration is requested but not required.
• Vaccine Clinic at Meadowood Health Partnership, Friday, January 9: In partnership with Meadowood Health Partnership, we're offering a variety of vaccines on January 9, 2026, from 1pm-3pm.
• Bird & Nature Adventures | Owen, Saturday, January 10: Critter Tracks ~ Join Naturalist Paul Noeldner for a free, fun, family and kid friendly guided walk to explore Owen Conservation Park.  We will look for bird and animal tracks and signs!  
• Candlelight Hike, Saturday, January 10: In partnership, Aldo Leopold Nature Center, Madison Parks presents this wonderful hiking event! Hundreds of softly glowing lights illuminate the trails through Aldo Leopold Nature Center and Edna Taylor Conservation Park.
• Bird & Nature Adventures | Turville Point, Sunday, January 11: Snowflakes and Subnivean ~ Join Naturalist Andria Blattner with Friends of Olin Turville (FOOT) on a guided walk to discover the magic of winter at Turville Point.  Learn how snowflakes form and why snow is important to plants and animals over winter.

Additional upcoming events can also be found on the City events calendar.